Wednesday, June 08, 2016

Freecut silhouettes in black card, and sketches in black finepoint marker on white paper with watercolour shading, collaged to either side of a translucent blue plastic stationery folder. Based on elements from several photos taken by me at Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo.

My blue cardboard had a bend in it, and I had to improvise. I had only found the folder on a forgotten pile last weekend. For me the exciting thing is how it photographed! Way more interesting and realistic than blue card, and the sea lions can be repositioned inside the plastic sleeve!

Update:

Week 23: Zoo II.

Freecut silhouettes in black card, and a sketch in black finepoint marker on white paper with coloured pencil and watercolour shading, collaged to either side of a mounted mesh baking sheet. Based on elements from a recent photo taken by me, plus a 1960s stock photo of Taronga Park Zoo's late feature attraction, King Kong.

It's as difficult to see the gorilla as it was at the Zoo in the 1960s. Infamously, Taronga's King Kong (and his partner, Mary Kong, in a separate enclosure) delighted in tossing sawdust and excrement onto the screaming human observers. Eventually, an additional perspex barrier had to be added. I thought people might like to see what it looks like inside the depressing 1960s enclosure, so here he is (below).

Week 23: Zoo IIa.

Week 23: Zoo III.

Freecut silhouettes in black card, and sketches in black finepoint marker on white paper with watercolour shading, collaged to either side of a mounted translucent green plastic stationery folder. Based on a memory of the original otter enclosure at Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo and stock otter photos found via a Google Image search.

This was one of my favourite Taronga exhibits as a kid (and featured in a favourite episode of TV's Catch Kandy), but in the late 70s, it disappeared off the official Zoo maps and I had to use an older map (in the Jacaranda School World Atlas) to find it each time I visited. It was like my secret rendezvous with the otters. The new maps and Zoo signage showed only a newer exhibit, around the corner.

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About me

Otherwise known as "Therin of Andor", Ian McLean has had an active association with "Star Trek" and science fiction media fandom in Australia since 1980. Before then he was an avid fan of the "Batman" TV series (60s) and the Australian TV classic, "Number 96" (70s).